AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION

ATC/AAFC BRANCH ABN 96 091 342 304

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER Issue No 75 April 2019

President’s Message Office Holders Greetings one and all. President Laurie Bell Well, once again the Avalon International Air Vice Peter Wilson Show 2019 was, to all reports, a resounding President success and if you were amongst the attendees on Secretary Hugh Tank any of those days you might have found, as some Treasurer Tony Synhur others of us did, that the radiant heat from the ground didn’t waste any time in taking its toll. Delegate John MacDonald

There are probably many previously considered and sound reasons for holding this event at this time of the year but personally, as on past occasions, I again found that unless you were Newsletter Ian Cohn prepared to forego most of the flying displays and hide yourself Editor away in the confines of the air conditioned pavilions, there was no respite from the heat which makes me wonder as to whether a slightly later date during the early to mid- Autumn period might be Please send your contributions to a more suitable proposition when the weather is not only cooler but [email protected] more stable and settled with calmer wind conditions. Food for or thought?...... Probably not! Box 486, Mt Beauty, VIC, 3699

John Currie, Secretary of the Benalla Aviation Museum which also Deadline for next issue – 23May19 contains our ATC/AAFC National Memorabilia Collection, reports that at present there is much ado going on in the background up there with a number of additional new display cabinets which are being built and negotiations are underway concerning the Welfare acquisition of two more aircraft for their collection. Branch Welfare Officers We look forward to more information from John as and when it Hugh Tank on 03 9877 3424 becomes available. and Peter Wilson By now most, if not all members, will have received by either email or post, a copy of the Branch Executive Nomination Form which is If you are aware of any member who due to be lodged with the Returning Officer at address supplied, by is unwell please contact Hugh or th no later than the 5 of April. Peter.

ATC/AAFC Newsletter April 2019 Page 1 President’s Message - continued

We still have a number of members who, possibly by oversight, are still late with their membership renewals and I take this opportunity to remind all members that their membership must be current in order to either nominate a person for an Executive Position or be a nominee themselves. As a general reminder, the Branch’s AGM will be held at the Box Hill RSL in the lower basement (plenty of parking) in Upton Room 2 at 11am on Saturday the 13th of April after which members will retire upstairs to the Bistro for lunch.

Best regards to everyone.

Laurie,

AAFC News From Facebook - March 27 at 6:30 PM · // 412SQN CADET CORPORAL OFF TO SPACE CAMP // CCPL Josh Brewster from 412SQN, Albury is reaching for the stars and off to the US for space camp. Well done Josh!

From www.facebook.com/WINNewsAlbury/?ref=hovercard

Every child dreams of shooting for the stars, but that could soon become a reality for one Albury teenager. Josh Brewster is one of forty Australian students selected to go to Space Camp in Alabama.

See also www.gofundme.com/send-josh-to-space-camp …

------March 25 at 3:26 PM · //SPECIAL CARGO// - First Diamond DA40 light aircraft for Australian Air Force Cadets

The very first Diamond DA40 light aircraft for the Australian Air Force Cadets was carefully loaded onto a RAAF Globemaster in Austria. For ease of handling, the DA40 was contained in a box for the trip home to Australia, leading it to be nicknamed 'Babushka' - a plane within a plane.

Photo: Blue Danube Airport Linz - Flughafen Linz GesmbH

Unveiled to the public at the 2019 Australian International Airshow at , theAustralian Air Force Cadets (AAFC) Diamond DA40 took pride of place in front of the AAFC display, strategically located near one of the RAAF C-17As.

See also www.defence.gov.au/news/raafnews/ March 21 Page 10.

ATC/AAFC Newsletter April 2019 Page 2 + Branch Events 2019 Friday, April 5th Branch Luncheon, Box Hill RSL. Friday, October 4th Branch Luncheon, Box Hill RSL. Saturday, April 13th Branch AGM, Box Hill RSL. Sunday, October 6th 4 Wing, AAFC Annual Parade, Point Cook. Friday, May 3rd Branch Luncheon, Box Hill RSL. Friday, November 1st Branch Luncheon, Box Hill RSL. Friday, June 7th Branch Luncheon, Box Hill RSL. Sunday, November 10th AFA’s Annual Pilgrimage & Friday, July 5th Branch Luncheon, Box Hill RSL. RAAF Nashos’ memorial Day, Point Cook. Friday, August 2nd Branch Luncheon, Box Hill RSL. Friday, December 6th Branch Luncheon, Box Hill RSL. Friday, September 6th Branch Luncheon, Box Hill RSL. Sunday, December 15th Branch Christmas Luncheon, Box Hill RSL

Denotes dates subject to confirmation in due course.

AAFC/AIRTC Historical Items

Please send in any of your old ATC/AAFC photographs with a small explanation of the circumstances. A picture is worth a thousand words. Heard of the Air Training Corps/AAFC Memorabilia Collection? Located at Benalla Aviation Museum at Benalla Airport in Victoria, this display is highly recommended for a group visit. See more at www.benallaaviationmuseum.org.au/

------February Meeting

March Meeting

ATC/AAFC Newsletter April 2019 Page 3

Member Story

David Crickmore – Part One

My RAAF service commenced on 7th February 1949 when 8217 Crickmore D. was enrolled in the Victorian Squadron Air Training Corps and posted to No 7 Flight which was based at Coburg High School where I was a student. I can remember being kitted out at the Head Quarters which at that time was in Siddley Street, Melbourne, on the corner of Spence and Flinders Streets. The area is now the Melbourne Convention Centre. There were three huts in the shape of a hollow square with the parade ground being gravel. We were issued with shirts with detachable collars, this meant that you had to have collar studs to fix the collar front and back. I still have my set of studs that you bought in the local barber’s shop. Later the HQ building was moved to the drill hall, and cottage near the North Melbourne railway station where it remained for many years. The cottage was demolished and a new office building built. I attended my first ATC camp at Point Cook where I had my first flight in a RAAF aircraft-an Airspeed Oxford - what a thrill. In February 1951 I attended the Junior NCO Course at Laverton where I passed with credit. Later I was granted the higher acting rank of Sergeant as there were no SGTs at the flight. During my time at 7 Flight I also attended No 3 Flight which was a Specialist Training Flight based at North Melbourne where you could study weapons, radio, aircraft engines, aircraft airframes, and navigation. The flight closed in April 1953. On 13 May 1953 I reached 18 years of age and so my enrolment with the ATC was terminated, and I was transferred to the RAAF General Reserve with the classification Aircraftman in the mustering of Education Assistant, and new number A39569 - which I kept all my service and posted to No 14 Flight hich met at Headquarters of a Wednesday night. The Flight Commander was SQNLDR Morgan Bartlett. My duties were orderly room assistant. At this time, I received my call up papers to complete the medical exam for National Service. I was posted to 9th Intake at NO 5 National Service Training Unit which was based at RAAF Laverton, and commenced training there on 4 January 1954 for 154 days. The RAAF and RAN did longer than the Army, as the Army recruits were on completion of training posted to Citizen Military Force units, later Army Reserve, to complete their obligation. Our intake was unusual in that it was a spilt intake. Due to the number of university students and final year apprentices, we did half our training one year and then came back and did the final 3 months the following year. We had members from all states of Australia except WA and the Northern Territory. How the system worked this out I have no idea. We were issued with Leave Passes which had to be signed off by the Squadron Commander each Sunday afternoon before you were granted leave. There was no leave for the first 4 weekends. We were B Section, 1 Flight, 2 Squadron. Our mustering was ACRM - Aircraft Recruit-Minor - in that we were under 21. We would not drink, could not vote-at that time, but we could kill people in a variety of ways, be sent overseas if needed. A new number, but later changed back to my RAAF reserve number to avoid confusion. During the first period of training several of us were selected to be Course Orderlies and granted the rank of Corporal-no extra pay, but had 4 to a hut instead of 8. High class living. Several trainees were selected to undergo aircrew training. The Royal Victorian Aero Club provided the tiger moth aircraft and instructors, with the RAAF providing fuel and maintenance. My best friend at NST, Alan Cartledge, was one of the aircrew trainees. Unfortunately, Alan was killed in an air accident over the Werribee Range on 14 January 1955. I was one of the pall bearers at the funeral.

ATC/AAFC Newsletter April 2019 Page 4 When we returned to complete the second phase of our NST Training there was great confusion as what to do with us. For the staff that had been there when we first arrived had all been posted out, and a new lot of staff appointed. We had to be re-kitted, reissued with rifles, bayonets and webbing kits, and medical checks-and first find our records. Finally, after a week the system got it worked out, and it was back to "normal". Our flight had a new drill NCO who was great, and after a 30 minute revision of rifle drill we were back into the swing of things. As we could "disappear" while the other 2 intakes were going about their activities, we became known as The Phantom Flight and had phantom badges on our overalls. It was during the second phase that the Queen visited Australia. We were issued with blue uniforms- battle dress jacket, blue shirt, collars and trousers for the lining of the streets of Melbourne when she arrived. We were in position before she had lunch in Launceston, flown to , inspected a guard there and driven past us at a speed. Then back to Laverton. Several days later she was at Point Cook to present the RAAF with a Royal Standard and so we were lining the roads and streets of Laverton when she went over and back to depart from Aircraft Siding in the Royal Train. Back into work dress of berets, overalls, and boots, and summer rig drabs. We had to return the blue uniforms with which we had been issued, and were told that we had to pay the cost of dry cleaning for their return! There was "much warm discussion" on this issue-why should we pay for the cost when the system issued us with it for a purpose. The decision was later made to return the items which I suppose were written off. On completion of NST we were reclassified from Trainee to ACRM to General Hand and transferred to the Active Reserve in the mustering of General Hand on 21 March 1955. As I was already on the General Reserve with the mustering of Education Assistant, this caused all sorts. of problems when I attended ATC General Service Training camps and was paid as a General Hand, a lower pay scale than EDASST. It several months for the system to sort it out and pay back pay. On 10 Aug 1956 was granted the higher acting rank of Corporal, and at this stage I had completed my Primary Teacher training and transferred to Morwell, where I was foundation member of No 26 Flight Latrobe Valley. At first the flight used to meet at the old airdrome used by the Latrobe Valley Aero Club on the western side of Morwell. When that closed, we used the Tobruk Street Primary School where I was teaching, but it was not the same atmosphere as the air field. The Department of Defence bought at public auction a former mess hall building form the State Electricity Commission at Morwell and had it transported to the new site of the Latrobe Valley Air Field which is equidistant from Morwell and Traralgon. This was an empty shell when it arrived and needed some repairs. The PAF CO of VICSQN ATC sent down a direction that in order to have building listed on the works program, that I had to detail the internal divisions that were considered necessary, all to scale and three copies of each drawing, including the position of power points, and finally the details of the internal plumbing required, and connection to the septic tank-to be installed later! This took a week end and we lived some 12 miles from the building it took several visits during the day. We had a family visit that week end so it was not a happy job. Anyway, I posted the material down with a note to say I could not supply the necessary detailed plumbing required as I was not a plumber. A week later I received a rocket from the CO informing me that I have to "obey all orders issued” and if necessary, to be able to determine the co efficiency of elastic sided boots. Signed SQNLDR CO" (I still have the letter). To say that I was upset was an understatement. I replied, after talking the matter over with the then staff at 26 Flight, that I was submitting my resignation on receipt of my letter. A couple of days later I was called to the Head Teachers Office for a phone call which was most unusual in those days. It was the CO apologising for his letter and actions and would I re consider my resignation. I took a week to think about the issue, and decided to withdraw my resignation. About this time, I had applied for a Commission, and after interviews at the old Albert Park Barracks, was on 14 Nov 1957 appointed to a Commission with the rank of Pilot Officer in the Special Duties ATC Branch of the General Reserve, Service Number 039569, and posted to 26 Flight-Morwell.

ATC/AAFC Newsletter April 2019 Page 5

I was later granted the Acting Higher Rank of Flying Officer on 14 Jan 1959, and Acting Flight Lieutenant as from 1 Jul 1968. On 5 Feb 1970 was Awarded the Cadet Forces Medal. This award was for Warrant Officers and Officers for 12 years continuous service with Cadets. As with many others, the time I spent as an Airman, or JNCO with Reserve attached to the ATC did not count towards the award. In my teaching job, I received a promotion to Broadford where there was no ATC Flight, so I wrote to the CO, the same about the letter, requesting leave for a year, until I could sort out what I was going to do. To my amazement, his reply was that if I was prepared to travel from my home at Strath Creek, near Broadford, to take up the position of Adjutant at No l Flight-RAAF Frognall in Melbourne, I would be paid a travel allowance, and arrangements made for over night accommodation. So on 1st January 1962 I was appointed Adjutant and had the job for 5 years, and made a member of the OMESS there. How, when, and why I was paid this travel allowance I have no idea, but it helped to cover the costs of 114 miles travel. Later we moved to Melbourne and, on 28 Feb 1967, I was appointed Chief Instructor at 11 Flight-Footscray. At this time, I became a member of the VICSQN Officers Mess, and acted as Secretary for a while and was PMC of the Mess from 1973-74, and 1975-76. On 10 May 1974 I was one of three officers nominated to be appointed as an Honorary Aide-de-Camp to the Governor of Victoria. My final move with the then ATC was my appointment to Squadron Head Quarters as Squadron Chief Instructor in 1970, the senior Reservist position, which I held until the closure of the Cadet units by the Whitlam government on 30 September 1975. With the announcement of the closure of the cadet units, there was much uncertainty as to the future not only of the cadets, but staff, who had given so much to the organizations. We received much valuable support from the PAF at this time, from the AOC of Southern Command to the PAF members of the Victorian Squadron. As the Squadron Chief Instructor, I was "loaned" the keys to the Drill Hall at North Melbourne where we carried out several JNCO and SNCO courses. The RAAF gave permission for us to do so provided we used the relevant Syllabus of Training and used the RAAF forms to record the cadet’s results. Country cadets and staff were billeted at metropolitan cadets and staff, and no pay was received by staff for these courses. Adult members even supplied their own .22 rifles and ammunition for the use of the indoor range which was part of the Drill Hall. One of the members of VICSQN -Ron Elms prepared a discussion paper "Quo Vadis" in which he proposed that if the Government would no continue funding for the cadet units then private funding or affiliation with the Air Force Association on a national basis. As a result, in Victoria, a private company registered under the Companies Act - The Victorian Air Training Corporation - was incorporated, and a Board of Directors appointed. I was invited to be a board member and for a while was Chairman. With the fall of the Whitlam government that year, and the incoming government confirming its support for a new Cadet organization, the need for the corporation lapsed and was formally wound up. We maintained a close working relationship with the Victorian Division of the RAAF Association during the time of the Corporation and used rooms at their building in South Yarra, for meetings. This close relationship between the AAFC and Association continues to this day. As well I was appointed to the State Council of the Victorian Division.

To be continued in the next edition.

ATC/AAFC Newsletter April 2019 Page 6 Books Diary of a Pilot - Above and Beyond By Lloyd Knight

Lloyd Knight was born in Sydney, Australia in 1932. Leaving high school at a pre-matriculation level, Lloyd first joined the Air Training Corps and, after a couple of years as a Cadet, joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1951.

His flying career spanned an unbroken period to retirement in 2003. It comprised three approximately equal phases, as an Air Force pilot, Commercial Pilot and Examiner of Airmen/Flying Operations Inspector with Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

As a RAAF pilot, Lloyd flew fighters in Korea, helicopters in Vietnam, and C130 Hercules transports after Vietnam. Lloyd covers the phases of his flying career in a series of anecdotes about significant, amusing and notable events in his flying life.

Lloyd finishes his book with a poignant, positive and inspiring account of caring for his wife after she suffered a debilitating stroke. Altogether a fascinating insight into the life of an expert aviator.

See also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4jyrxCaxzg

Late news:- Author Lloyd Knight will attend our branch meeting at Box Hill RSL on Friday the 5th of April.

BRITISH SECRET PROJECTS 3 Fighters 1935-1950 Review by John Baxter

To mention the Spitfire, Hurricane, Typhoon, Tempest, Whirlwind, Meteor to those of my generation with an aviation interest easily brings to mind images of those types and dozens more of that era. However, who remembers the contenders for those particular fighter projects and many other projects that often did not proceed beyond some hand drawn sketches or even more highly detailed drawings? We remember the winners, but who remembers the other contenders?

Well, Tony Buttler, for one, does! In this latest in the series of ‘Secret Projects’ from Crecy Publishing, he covers an amazing array of aircraft from a diverse range of manufacturers, back in the day when there were a dozen or more in England alone. Tony has admitted determining the time frame for this title was a little tricky but has still achieved something quite remarkable. To say I enjoyed reading through all the projects is an understatement. It’s an impressive volume with plentiful illustrative content, in-depth and well researched text and all easily readable. Joe Cherrie’s models are a treat, as always.

ATC/AAFC Newsletter April 2019 Page 7 This is a ‘What if’ type volume to some extent, but it’s still of interest to see which types were the competitors for the Sea Fury, for example. How about the possibility of a jet powered Wyvern? What about a V-tailed Seafire? The manufacturers also showed remarkable diversity in the airframe types entered to various specifications laid down by the Air Ministry, and the reasons often behind why one company obtained the contract over another. All good stuff. Now, you need to bear in mind that this is an updated version of the original volume released in 2004 (back then by Midland Publishing), but is now split with another volume on British wartime bomber projects planned for the future. I have the original 2004 edition but that did not stop me from wanting this newer version.

Now, there’s one glaring typographical error which I find difficult to conceive how it slipped past the proof reading. Check Chapter Five, where the Table of Contents has it correct but the chapter title is so horribly wrong as are the headers to the following pages within the chapter. If you’re a bit of a typist, you’ll quickly see how the original mistake occurred. Ok, so I’m nit picking (or rivet counting if you want to go the modelling variation), but it’s there and to not mention it suggests I’m not doing my job correctly. I had a chuckle and moved on. It’s not that important to the reader.

Another interesting chapter concerns developments in the engine technology, with a few brief paragraphs on electronic and radar advances. Personally, I would have liked to see a bit more on the latter two but believe it was probably left out for the companion volume where dedicated radio, navigation and radar (ground mapping as well as airborne interception) is probably more applicable.

Crunch time – would I recommend this volume? Yes, definitely! It’s an inexpensive (an important factor) book, it continues a great series, it covers a lot of material that otherwise may simply disappear and it helps show the evolutionary processes that brought us the Vampire, Sea Venom, Hornet and more. And there are some quite interesting options presented by lesser known and even some relatively unknown aircraft manufacturing companies. It’s an enlightening volume!

There are eleven chapters in this 224 page book, illustrated with 579 colour photos, 194 black and white photos, 104 3-views and 33 assorted b&w illustrations. There’s three appendices, select bibliography and source notes, glossary and index. So, it’s quite comprehensive.

This really is a great book for any aviation enthusiast at a very competitive price. And if you missed out on the earlier edition, then here’s the chance to resolve that. It is available from Hyland’s Bookshop in Melbourne [email protected] or 03 9654 7448 for about $70. ISBN 9781910809174.

Many thanks to Ms Orietta Colussi of DLS Australia for the review copy.

Space News

From the Guardian Australia 'Bucket-list shot':

Australian gets rare photo of space station in front of moon. Amateur astronomer Ken Lawson says it took him eight years but he finally lined up the ‘perfect’ shot

The space station seen in a time-lapse photograph travelling across the face of the moon. “I had to wait eight years for that,’ said photographer Ken Lawson. An amateur Australian astronomer who took a “perfect” photo of the International Space Station passing in front of the moon says it took him eight years to set up.

ATC/AAFC Newsletter April 2019 Page 8 Ken Lawson, from Geraldton in Western Australia, has been an avid astronomer and photographer since childhood. On 14 March he captured the shot of the space station passing between Earth and the moon, in perfect light, with a simple camera and telescope. “The ISS is one of those bucket-list shots,” he told Guardian Australia. “I saw someone do it years and years ago and I thought I’d love to do that. It took about eight years to get it. It’s similar to a total solar eclipse. “You have to be exactly at the right pass. It was only five minutes away from my house. It was perfect. But I had to wait eight years for that to occur.” The ISS is only 100m long and 72m wide, orbits 300km to 435km above the Earth, and travels at a speed of 27,600km/hour – making it very difficult to photograph. Viewed from the Earth, it takes only 0.3 seconds for it to cross the moon. But Lawson said any passionate amateur astronomer could get the tools he used to take the photo – a Canon 5D Mark IV camera and an eight-inch manual telescope. “It’s an off-the-shelf camera and a $500 telescope,” he said. “Nothing special.” Lawson said he was pleased with the reaction to his photo, and was already eyeing up the next project. “There’s always another object. Some more deep sky stuff. The other one is people get [the ISS] in front of the sun. There was actually a pass the week after I took this photo, but it was clouded out. “I’ve been into astronomy and photography ever since I was a little kid. My dad was a photographer. My bedroom when I was a little kid used to be my dad’s darkroom. I used to have bottles of fixer and developer at the end of my bed. “At around eight years old I saw my first blurry wobbly image of Saturn and have been hooked ever since.”

Internet Links of Interest RAAFA ATC/AAFC Branch page raafavic.org.au/content/758/branch-atc-aafc National Servicemen’s Association - www.nashos.org.au/ Air Force News www.defence.gov.au/Publications/NewsPapers/RAAF/Default.asp

The Beauty of Space - www.theguardian.com/science/gallery/2016/jul/12/beauty-of- space-spectacular-australian-photographs-of-the-universe

Electric cars vs Petrol cars - www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewcWN-rHQ6Q

ATC/AAFC Newsletter April 2019 Page 9

AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION VICTORIA

ATC/AAFC BRANCH

ATTENTION - ALL ADULT MEMBERS of the AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE CADETS

The AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION (Victorian Division) would welcome you as a member of our Branch. As part of this proud Association with its long standing record of Service, the ATC/AAFC Branch membership consists of former ATC, AirTC and former and currently serving members of the AAFC. Associate memberships are available for partners.

For membership enquiries, please contact:

Laurie Bell – Branch President Hugh Tank – Branch Secretary General Enquiries

43 Stenhouse Av, Brooklyn, 3012 Vic. 11 Paulette Court , Blackburn South, The Air Force Association: 3130, Victoria. 03 9813 4600 03 9314 6223 or 0412 505 887 03 9877 3424 [email protected] [email protected]

ATC/AAFC Newsletter April 2019 Page 10